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Completed Outside Cover for my CD Digipak

I have created and completed the outside cover for my CD Digipak. Now all I will need to do is create the inside cover and then the Digipak design will be complete. To gain feedback for this, I am planning on printing my design in a larger scale and asking friends and family to comment on it. Also, I have uploaded a video to YouTube with a still image of the cover accompanied by the music track, asking for comments and feedback. I have also created a thread on the official Simple Plan website, asking for feedback from fans of the band and any suggestions they may have. The links for these are below:

http://www.simpleplan.com/forums/866bc1-feedback-on-album-cover-for-media-coursework/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBKApEnKTRU&list=HL1325100322&feature=mh_lolz

Below is an image of the final completed outside Digipak cover.

Latest Filming Shoots

I have filmed this past Thursday (22nd December) at the location of Joanna's living room for approximately two hours, and finished all of the filming needed from this location. I filmed with Joanna and Matthew, using the props of popcorn and drinks. I also repeated some of the footage I already have filmed so that I have a lot more footage to use when it comes to editing my music video.

I have also had to rearrange the filming I was supposed to do on Monday due to it being quite bad weather and also dark earlier than I had thought. For this reason, I have planned to film on Monday 2nd January from 11am until approximately 2-3pm, to achieve all of the outdoor and indoor footage involving Connor.

From this, I have mentioned to Joanna and Matthew that I will need to film with them once more outdoors in the day time so that it is light. I will plan this nearer to the date although it will most likely be next week one morning. I will plan nearer to the time because I will need to make sure the weather is supposed to be dry.

Also, me and Scarlett have gained permission and access to the school on the Saturday 7th January to film the performance parts of our music videos. We have let our cast members know this, and also any staff who would need to be involved. Therefore I plan to have all of my filming done by this date and ready to edit on the mac.

Confirming Filming

I have contacted Connor and have confirmed that we will be filming on Monday 19th from 11am onwards while it is still light. I have also confirmed with Joanna and Matthew that we will film on Thursday 22nd from 7pm onwards. I hope to achieve all of the footage I was not able to collect last week.

CD Digipak Ideas

I am now thinking about the photography I am going to do for my CD Digipak. I am going to do this over the christmas holidays and get a variety of different photography of different things. For example, either photography of cast members in costume etc, or maybe abstract images which are not even relevant toward the band or the song. I also have photoshop on my own laptop at home, so I will be able to create the cover for the CD Digipak at home during the two week break.

However, I have already created abstract images which I could possibly use. I filmed a fireworks display this year, and used a variety of video filters on final cut to achieve an abstract colourful effect with the footage. I then took screenshots of various sections I think work best, and I am considering using the best one(s) for my CD Digipak, rather than using photographs of my cast members. The reason for this is because I think it will be more original, and it will also represent the style of the band well, as they are rock/alternative rock, and they already use bright colours to advertise themselves on their album covers etc. Below are the variety of shots I have created for my Digipak.

I am not sure however where I could use these images on my Digipak, whether it is the front, back or inside cover. I will test them out in various positions on the template and decide from that which looks best. In the meantime, I will do more photography of cast members and other things which I could use for my Digipak. 

After having collected these images, I have edited a few slightly in photo shop. I have edited my favourite ones, and I will now choose out of these nine images below as to which I want to use in my Digipak. 

Music Channels

Choosing a Music Channel for my Music Video:
I have been thinking about what music channel my band and song may appear on, and I have thought of three popular music channels which all have a variety of types of music playing, all of which could feature my artist and song. These three music channels are;

4Music:

4Music is a music and entertainment channel which is broadcast 24 hours a day. It can also be found on its own website, and also has Facebook and Twitter pages to represent it. This channel replaced 'The Hits', and is shown on Freeview, Virgin Media and Sky. The music shows which are shown on this channel are as follows:

Today's 4Music Top 10,

Fresh Music Top 20,

Your Official Top 20,

UKHot40,

The 4Music Buzz Chart,

4Music Big Ones,

The UK Airplay Top 20,

4Music Doubles.

These different shows all show a variety of music, either what is currently in the chart and new releases, or specific shows for various styles of music, including alternative rock (which is the style of my artist). The target audience for this particular music channel is teenagers and younger adults, due to the style of language used on the show and also on their website, and the colours they use to advertise. Also, most of the songs are in the charts and are newly released, which a lot of younger viewers would be interested in. 

Viva:

VIVA is a more recent music channel, established in 2009. It is owned by MTV and has the slogan of 'up your viva!'. It is only shown on Freeview television, and in the UK and Ireland. As well as music videos, this channel is also used for programmes including MTV and Comedy Central. The main music show on this channel is The Official UK Chart Show. VIVA shows all different genres of music and does not stick to a specific style, however the majority of the music videos shown are from the Top 40 songs in the mainstream current charts. Therefore it is unlikely that my chosen artist and song would be shown on this channel regularly, but may appear on occasion. 

Kerrang:

Kerrang! TV is a digital television station owned by Box Television, which is loosely connected to the magazine, Kerrang!. As of 2005, all of its programme content is music videos, the majority of which is open scheduled, for text requests from their playlist.

The TV station's playlist is mainly metal and pop/skate-punk, although with some unusual exceptions. Certain bands, such as Tenacious D and Limp Bizkit get higher than average play rates, due to higher rates of text requests. Themed 30 minute segments often cover artists who are on the playlist, with large numbers of videos, most noticeably Green Day, Paramore and You Me at Six. 

The bands mentioned last are all of a similar genre to Simple Plan, who are my chosen band. Therefore I believe that Simple Plan - Your Love is a Lie (which is the track to which I am making a music video to) would fit well with this music channel in their themed 30 minute segments which cover artists such as this. 

My Chosen Music Channel:

After having looked at all three of these music channels, I have decided that the channel in which my music video is to appear on is Kerrang!. The reason for this is because this is a music channel with a more specific target audience who listen to music of similar genres to Simple Plan. Similar bands have appeared regularly on Kerrang! which means that the music video will be shown directly to those in the target audience. The style, colour scheme, language and layout of the shows all link to the target audience I am trying to aim my music video towards. 

Filming in the Christmas Holidays

Due to the fact that for the past week I haven't been able to do any filming for various reasons, I have arranged with my cast to do some film shoots in the first week of the Christmas holidays. After having done these I will then arrange to shoot some more in the second week of the holidays and hopefully finish off the majority of my filming. I have arrange to film with Connor on Monday 19th in the day time to get the outdoor footage I need as it will be light at this time. I will also film the indoor footage I was supposed to do on the Tuesday I missed this week. I have also said to Connor that if we don't achieve all of the footage on the Monday, we will continue with it on Wednesday 21st December. I have also spoken to Matthew and Joanna, and am going to film with them on Thursday 22nd December from 7pm onwards in the evening. This will be the footage I wasn't able to film last week. After these film shoots have been completed I will then know what there is left to film and I will be able to plan from there. As for the performance parts of the music video, I am yet to sort out the Saturday filming in January, but am hoping to arrange all of that by the end of the Christmas holidays.

Performance Parts of my Music Video

As I have already written in a previous post, me and Scarlett are planning on trying to film all of our performance stages of the video on a Saturday in January. This is because I cannot find a day after school in which all of my cast members are free as they have other commitments. However, having asked them all if they can film on a Saturday, one cast member (Joe), cannot do any Saturdays as he works every week. This means I will now have to try and sort something else out, for example re-casting or only having three band members. This is unfortunate as it is not what I had planned and it would be better to have more band members. Once I have sorted this element out, me and Scarlett will then have to ask permission and sort out which Saturday we will film, what props we will need, and how we will access everything.

Rearranging Tonights Filming

Unfortunately, I have also had to cancel tonights filming. The reason for this is because Connor's work shifts have changed this week, meaning he is now having to work tonight. I will now have to find other time in which I can film this. I am going to have to try and film the majority of my footage over the christmas holidays. I hopefully should be able to finish it all over the christmas holidays, and also my cast members should be free most of the time throughout the two weeks.

Having to Cancel Filming

In the end, I was unable to film last night at all, and I informed Joanna of this. I was not able to film due to having teeth taken out earlier in the day, and the anesthetic hadn't worn off in time and I would not have been able to do the film shoot. I explained this reason to my cast and they were fine with me rearranging the date. I will most likely get all of my filming done in the Christmas holidays, which start next Friday (16th). I am still going ahead with filming on Tuesday night with just the shots which involve Connor.

Tonights Filming

I had planned to film tonight with two of my cast members, Matthew and Joanna. Unfortunately, Matthew has told me that he now cannot do tonight, so I will have to rearrange this to another date. I will still film with just Joanna tonight though and film the shots which just involve her, and maybe improvise to create shots which I haven't planned; but will give me more choice when it comes to editing.

Next Filming Dates

The next filming date is this Thursday night, and will involve Joanna and Matthew again; filming more shots in the house location and outdoor locations. Both actors are free on this date and I have informed them of the times and locations. They both know what costume to wear, as it is the same as the last film shoot, so there is little information to tell them except for the time and place.

I have also planned to film on Tuesday 13th in the evening, but this time only with Connor as the actor, as I want to film the parts which are filmed in a teenage boy's bedroom. This shoot will involve the lip syncing, so I have made Connor aware that he will need to know the words to the song by Tuesday. I plan to play the song while he lip syncs though, so that it is easier for him. I will film this from 7pm until approximately 8.30pm. During this film shoot, I will also talk to him about when he is available for the next shoot, which will need to be after school because I need it to be still fairly light; but looking as though it is evening. I will be able to achieve this because it is winter and gets dark early.

Change of Plan for the Band Sections of my Music Video

I had originally planned to film today (Tuesday 6th December) and also next week (Tuesday 13th December). However, I did not get a response from all cast members as to whether or not they would be free. Also, On the 13th I have a Duke of Edinburgh award meeting which I need to attend; and therefore that date would not have happened anyway. I was talking to Scarlett Colson, who is in the media class and is also having an area of performance using the same location. Two of my cast for the band are also in Scarlett's, and therefore we thought we could film at the same time, in the same location; and take it in turns. This would save time for both of us, and also for the actors as they would only need to take one day to do this. We also thought that we could do this on one of the first Saturday's in January; and we are currently trying to arrange this with the cast, and any teaching staff which would need to be informed that we would be using the school drama hall on a Saturday. The two cast members which are in both of our videos will need to bring a change of clothes so that they have the correct costume for both me and Scarlett.  As well as making it easier for me and Scarlett and the cast members, it would mean that all of the filming could be done on one day, and we know that the drama hall will definitely be free for use. I have contacted all of the cast members to inform them of this, and they have all agreed except for Tommy and Joe, who have not replied yet. When we know of a date which they are available, we will then get permission and make the arrangements with the props and location in the school. (Music faculty for the props, and drama faculty for the use of location).

List of Things I Need to Complete (Reminder)

Audience feedback video on: Ideas for music video in general, Ideas for CD Digipak (photos).

Get images of locations, Joanna's living room, Roxie's mums living room as an option, Connor's room, outside pavements, just outside Joanna's house, and Roxie's old house living room. Then upload onto the blog posts which are already made.

Arrange next filming dates.

Screenshot editing process when I edit footage.

Take photos when I film to add images to my blog posts of when I film.

Final Cut Express has now been installed onto my Mac

I am now able to edit my music video from this point onwards, as Final Cut Express has been installed onto my mac. Before now, my Mac and a few others were new this year; and therefore did not have the program installed onto them. This was a slight problem as we did not know if they would be able to have Final Cut before I would need to start editing. However, it is now on my mac and once I have collected enough footage I will be able to start editing my music video.

Deadlines for my Advanced Portfolio

Term 3: To be completed by January 4th 2012
- Research and Planning completed and evidence of this put onto my blog for both the main and ancillary tasks. (Assessment and Feedback).
- Most of my filming to be completed so that I can start editing even if I still have some filming left to do.
- Track downloaded and imported to Final Cut Express.
- Editing of music video to be started.
- Editing of ancillary tasks using Photoshop to be started.

Term 4: To be completed by February 16th 2012
- Editing completed by this term if not before.

Term 5: To be completed by April 16th 2012
- Main task and ancillary tasks completed by April 16th 2012
- Media studies coursework screening will take place to receive audience feedback.
- Evaluation completed and presented.
- Exam Preparation for section A: Theoretical Evaluation of Production

Bedroom Location Change

I originally had planned to use a teenage boy's bedroom as part of my music video, and this was in my original location. Since I now do not have access to this location, I have had to reconsider the location for this. However, one of my cast members, Connor, has agreed to let me use his bedroom, which I have looked at and it has the right Mise-en-Scene for the video. Also, as he is the actor which this location will be used for, it makes it easier for him and he will feel comfortable acting there. I also can easily get to this location. Below is an image of his bedroom.

(INSERT IMAGE HERE)

Planning the Band Performance Film Shoot

I have recently contacted the cast for the band performance, and asked them whether or not they are available on Tuesday 6th December, and Tuesday 13th December from 3.30pm until 5.00pm. They have all replied that they are available for this, therefore I am planning to film the band performance parts of my music video on these dates. As there are four actors for this, it is possible that at least one of them may have something else come up meaning they will not be able to film on these dates. If this is the case, I will have to rearrange to another Tuesday; as this is the only day of the week in which all of them are available after school. I will need to gain permission from the drama/music teachers to use the instruments as props, and access the drama hall on these dates before I can confirm to my cast that the film shoots are taking place.

Second Film Shoot

On Monday 20th November, I had my second film shoot with two of my cast. The shoot took place between 4pm and 5.30pm, in two locations. As it is now winter time, it gets dark quite early which means light was limited; however this matches my storyboard as the majority takes place in the evening/night time and this makes it clear. Joanna and Matthew were the two cast members who participated in this shoot. From 4pm until approximately 4.30pm, I did the filming which took place outside. This was before it got too dark that the camera would not be able to focus on anything outdoors. Then after this for the remainder of the filming I used Joanna's living room for some of the indoor footage.

The location problem which I was faced with last week has now been resolved; I have gained permission from Joanna to use her living room and parts of her house for my indoor filming as I no longer have access to my previous location. Her living room had a variety of photographs of family which had to be removed, but other than this her living room has a good layout and set up for the Mise-en-Scene of my scenes. I will need to return to this location to film again, which I am able to do so I no longer have an issue with finding a new location.

In this film shoot, I filmed a variety of different shots and angles of the main female character and the second male character together. These mostly involved the shots with the keys and the front door, and also the scenes of them together on the sofa. I will need to film some of these again with the popcorn prop. I also filmed some different shots of the scene involving the stairs.

This film shoot was very successful and no time was wasted as both actors were fine with the acting and felt comfortable around each other.

I ensured that Joanna's costume, makeup and hair was exactly the same as the last film shoot, and I have informed Matthew that his costume will need to be kept the same also.

My next filming date is Thursday 1st December in the evening from 7pm onwards, and this filming shoot will only involve Connor, and I plan to film the shots which only involve him.

Photoshop Tutorial 2

The image above is an image of Lenka (a female solo artist), which me and Leanne Mok (another member of the class) started with when we created a practice album cover. We had a further photoshop tutorial to teach us how to use portraits in photoshop to edit them professionally. Below is the resulting image we created. 

In this tutorial, we used the lassoo tool and the magnetic lassoo tool to cut the portrait seperately from the background. We then used a tool called 'feather' to soften the edges and make it look like a clean cut. We then used different tools and features to change the contrast, brightness, saturation and colour of the portrait and edit it in any way as we wanted. We did not alter the portrait that much other than darkening some areas and changing the colours slightly. We then imported a background making sure that the layer was behind the portrait. Also, we flipped the portrait around so that it matched the background (as the light on the face would need to be where the sun was in the background to make sense). We then added some text as a layer in the foreground to finish off the image. Doing this has further developed my skills in photoshop and now I feel that using my own knowledge and the information taught to me in these tutorials I will be able to create my own designs for the ancillary tasks of this portfolio. 

Filming Delay

Due to unforeseeable circumstances, I am not able to use my chosen location any longer to film. This means that any filming I have previously done will not be able to be used, and I will also have to find and plan a new location. This could delay my filming by quite a while, whilst I try to find somewhere else I could use. If I cannot find anywhere to film, I will have to re-think, and plan a whole new idea; which would be very time consuming and I would most likely have to rush, as I do not have a long time to do this. Hopefully, I will be able to find a new location which is suitable, and start filming in the near future. My cast has been informed of this, and they are all aware of this change. The location which needs to be changed is the house location, therefore I will have to find somewhere with suitable Mise-en-Scene and room layout. In the meantime, I can still film outdoor scenes and scenes which do not have an obvious location which needs to be kept constant throughout the video.

First Film Shoot Complete

On Thursday 10th November, I had my first film shoot at my location of a friends house. One of my actors was not available on the night, so I filmed with just the main male actor (Connor) and the female actor (Joanna). Because my third actor (Matthew) was not able to come unexpectedly and at the last minute, I had to improvise and film some extra footage to what I had planned which just involved Connor and Joanna. One of my shots in my storyboard was of an argument occurring between the main male character and female character. Although this was simply one shot, I decided to film it from different angles and shots so that I had a variety of options when coming to edit. I used a long shot, mid shot, close up, and I also used shot reverse shot and point of view shots. It took a while for the actors to get used to the idea of the filming; therefore a lot of takes had to be done to achieve the shot. I filmed for approximately 1-2 hours. The lighting was quite dark in the footage, however this may be an advantage because I want it to be obvious it is evening time. Both actors wore the correct costume, but I decided against using the necklace and ring for the female actor. I decided this because the costume looked right without it, and the jewellery I had available to use did not go with the costume very well; and therefore it looked better as a whole without it. Joanna decided to have her hair up, as she thought she could easily create the exact same style each time we film. She also wore a small amount of makeup. Before the filming, I made sure that the Mise-en-Scene was right for the living room.

I have arranged to film again this coming Thursday, the 17th. This time all three of my actors have said that they will be available to film, however I will make plans in advance just in case for some reason one or more of them is unable to come, similar to the last film shoot.

Photoshop Tutorial

In the lesson on Thursday 10th, we had a two hour photoshop tutorial to teach us the basic things which the programme can do. As we will be using this for our digipak and advertisements, it is important that I know how to use it properly and how to use all of the effects there is to offer. I learnt about how to use all of the layers in photoshop correctly so that some layers were in the background and some were overlapping certain images. I also added text and altered the opacity of certain items. For example the small darker blue butterfly's opacity was altered so that you can see through it slightly. I also tested out different filters in photoshop, to see what effects they created. I also used a variety of the tools available such as the eraser tool, and the magic wand tool. Although I have already used photoshop before now in my art lessons, I was still introduced to some important parts of using the software which I didn't know before. After this two hour tutorial, I feel that I can now use photoshop myself to create my magazine advertisement and Digipak cover. I do think that I need to experiment more by using portraits and creating a practice version related to a music album. 

First Film Shoot

I plan to start filming this Thursday, (10th November). In this shoot, I will be including shots using the three main characters in the music video. I have contacted them all and they are all available on this date to film. I plan to film from 7.00pm for one to two hours. On this shoot, I will focus on the indoor filming in my chosen location of a friends house. I plan to film all or most of the shots which include the second male character and the female character together, as there are not so many of these and it would be beneficial to get these done all at once. I have contacted all three of the cast members of what costume to wear, and how to have their hair and makeup etc, and also if they will need any props such as a watch or jewellery. I have also informed them that this will have to be the exact same every time we film. For this shoot, I will have to purchase popcorn and drinks for the two characters when they are on the sofa together, and ensure that I have all of the props which are needed for the shots I am going to be filming. I am going to film plenty of different shots and angles which differ from the storyboard so that I have a variety of choice when it comes to editing the footage at the end. The lighting does not particularly matter for this shoot, as it is all indoors. However all of the lights will be on so that the footage will be as bright as possible. I will also have to make sure that the Mise-en-Scene of the house is right for my video. For example, photographs and items that are in the living room will need to be removed so that my location becomes believable. I will organise my next film shoot date and time once this shoot is complete, as I will then know what I have done and what is left to do.

Ancillary Task 2: CD Digipak

The History of the Digipak:
A Digipak is a style of CD or DVD packaging, and is a registered trademark of AGI World Ltd, an Atlas Holdings company.  IMPAC Group Inc. originally owned the Digipak trademark. The company was taken over in 2000 by MeadWestvaco (MWV). Following this in 2010, MWV sold AGI Media to Atlas Holdings. A Digipak opens in a book-style way with one or more plastic trays to hold the disc inside. Digipaks were amongst the first alternatives for a jewel case. Digipaks are often used for CD singles or special edition CD's. Digipak cases became increasingly popular in the early 2000's among record labels and recording artists.

What is a Digipak:
The CD Digipak is a modern alternative to the standard plastic jewel case. A Digipak is a custom printed card packaging which can hold one or more discs depending on how many plastic trays are glued into the packaging. CD Digipaks are especially popular for CD albums or multiple disc sets. Digipaks were originally seen as being limited edition and specialist. However they are now available at much lower prices and quantities. There are many different types of Digipak, ranging from 4 panel to 10 panel. The most common is a 4 panel CD Digipak, which simply opens like a book.

Compared to the Jewel Case:
The Digipak differs from the standard jewel case, as a jewel case comes in one style, and is made from plastic. The jewel case has been used since the compact disc was first released in 1982, and is a three piece transparent plastic case, which can have a cover slotted inside. The jewel case locks shut itself, and opens in a simple book-style way. The Digipak differs to this as there are many different types and sizes, and is made out of cardboard. The Digipak does not have a cover; each Digipak is custom printed so that the design is printed onto it rather than being seperate. Digipaks still remain less common than jewel cases due to the higher manufacturing costs and lower resistance to wear. This is why most CD's on shop shelves all are sold in a jewel case, and fewer Digipaks are seen.

Different Types of Digipak:
Four different examples of types of Digipak are the '4 panel, 1 tray' Digipak (which is the style of Digipak I will be creating for my chosen artist/track). The 4 panel 1 tray Digipak is the most common and simple Digipak available. It has just one fold and opens like a jewel case would, however is cardboard and the plastic trays are on the inside.

The second example is a '6 panel, 1 tray' Digipak which still only holds one disc as it only contains one plastic tray. However, it has a different folding mechanism which means there are six sides to the Digipak.

A third example is the  '6 panel, 3 tray' Digipak, which folds in the same way as the example above, but is fitted with three plastic trays so that it can hold up to three discs. This would be useful for multiple disc sets.

A final example is the '8 panel, 4 tray' Digipak. This is a large Digipak as it holds up to four discs as it is fitted with four plastic trays. There are also eight sides to the Digipak.

The style of Digipak I will be creating is a 4 panel 1 tray Digipak. I will be creating a simple book-style mechanism of folding, with one plastic tray to insert a disc. I will also be designing the Digipaks exterior.

Examples of Digipaks:

This Digipak is a 6 panel Digipak of Bon Jovi's greatest hits. The main colour scheme for this Digipak is brown. There are also colours such as black, or lighter browns, and small hints of red. These colours represent the style of Rock as they are quite dark colours. From the CD inside of the Digipak, I can see that the disc is black with red on it. Black and red are quite common colours associated with rock and alternative rock, as the bright and dark colours contrast.


The image of Bon Jovi on the front of the Digipak means that it is instantly recognisable. Also, the artist name is central at the top of the Digipak in large letters. The front of the Digipak is quite plain and simple, with the name of the album, the name of the artist and a large image. All of the information is on the back of the Digipak. This is because it looks better if there is not much writing on the front as it makes the cover clearer and would appeal more to all of the target audience as they can choose whether or not to read the back cover.

The spine of the Digipak states that the Digipak is a double disc pack. This may also appeal to the target audience as they would recieve two CD's of Bon Jovi's greatest hits. Also, as well as on the front cover of the Digipak, a different image of Bon Jovi is on the back cover. The CD is also made to look like an old record vinyl, which fits the genre of the music and style of the artist. The fact it is black and made to look quite old also links with the colour scheme and style of the Digipak as a whole. From this angle of the picture alone, 'Bon Jovi' has been written on it four times in a clear bold font, to appeal to the target audience and make it clear to a buyer of what this Digipak contains.

The Digipak as a whole is obvious as to what is in the content, such as the artist, the amount of discs, and what the album is (Greatest Hits). This means it is clear to the target audience and would appeal to a buyer if they were looking for this.

This Digipak is also a 6 panel, 2 disc pack. It is for the Wombats, which is a band of a similar style to my chosen artist, Simple Plan. Bright colours have been used such as bright pinks, and a contrasting colour of black.

In the centre panel, there is a large image of the Wombats, which would appeal to the target audience, and it also adds more colour to the Digipak as a whole to make it look bright and colourful. This represents the style of the band.


Each disc is of a different colour which contrasts with each other. Also, the background of the panels containing the discs are also of opposite colours. This makes the discs stand out and adds to the colourful theme of the Digipak. The two discs also cleverly have a slight hint to the name of the band, the Wombats. For each disc, there are two small 'ears' above the colour of a disc to emphasise the name of the band being about Wombats, (a small animal).

This Digipak as a whole is of a similar idea to what I would want to do in my own Digipak, by using bright colours which represent the artist, and to include images of the artist (in my case, the cast members of my music video).

This is a Digipak of a 6 panel, 1 tray style, for My Chemical Romance (MCR), which is a band of a similar style to my chosen artist. It also uses a similar colour scheme to what I had in mind also, and a colour scheme which is associated with many rock bands, red and black.

As is similar in most Digipaks, an image of the band is large on one panel on the right hand side. The image is in black and white and contains all of the band members standing next to each other in an arrangement. This would appeal to the target audience as the style of the photograph is poster-like, and the black and white colour scheme also links to the genre of the Digipak being rock. Also, the pose and arrangement in which the band are standing represents the fashion and style of the target audience. They are all dressed in dark colours of a similar style, which would appeal to the target audience.

All of the information is displayed on the left panel of the inside of the Digipak. This could be because if lots of information was put on the outer covers of the Digipak, it might put off buyers and also take up room which could be used for important information and images.

The whole colour scheme of the Digipak is black, red and white, which is an obvious trend when it comes to rock and alternative rock bands.

Similar to the Digipak for Bon Jovi's greatest hits, this disc is also made to look like an old vinyl record, with circle lines on the black disc. Also, a random red 'pattern/shape' is central to the disc, which contrasts with the old look of the vinyl disc and adds a modern touch which represents the band.

Ideas:
I have collected a few images to get ideas and inspiration on what to put in my own Digipak design. I have considered the colour scheme, including photographs of the band members and cast, instruments, and writing style. It is clear from looking at some examples of Simple Plan albums that red and black and white are colours which often appear. Also, block lettering is used to make it stand out on the covers. The writing is often in white. I would like to get the idea of the genre of the song across by using images of instruments and also by the fashion in which the cast would wear. Below are some example images which I have looked at so far to give me ideas of what I could possibly include.

I have now created a bar code using a bar code generator online so that there were no copyright issues. I have used my full name and candidate number as the text along the bottom of the bar code so that it is personal and is useful to have on the back of my Digipak. I chose the dimensions of the bar code and I also chose to have a white background with black font. Below is an image of the bar code I created. 

Ready to Start Filming

I am now ready to start filming my own music video, as I feel I have completed my research and planning, and have a good enough idea of exactly what I need to film/do. I have all of my cast members, chosen locations, costumes and props. I also have my own video camcorder and tripod therefore I do not need to worry about having to book them out from school, which may result in me not getting a camcorder when I need one as there are not quite enough camcorders for everyone to have access to one each.

Looking Into Similar Products

I have been looking at other music videos which are of a similar style to mine. As my music video is classified as 'Illustration', I have looked through some music videos from other artists which also fall under this category. I have also particularly looked at narrative videos which are of the subject of relationships and couples etc, as this is the theme for my video. The videos that I have looked at more closely in detail are 'N-Dubz - Ouch' and 'Scouting For Girls - Love How it Hurts'. The reason I chose these two videos to look at are firstly because they both are Illustration/Amplification, but also because they are about the theme of relationships and cheating. Also, 'Ouch' contains a lot of elements of performance, which I am also including in my music video.

Below is the music video for N-Dubz - Ouch:

The music video starts with cross cutting between three different parts of the video. Firstly, a female actor walking alone with large bags, as though she is returning from a trip. This cross cuts to a shot of a male and female together and it is clear that they look as though they are a couple. There is then a short shot of the band to show that this video is by N-Dubz. All of this is in slow motion to introduce the video. This is similar to my own music video as I am also having two stories, one of a male character by himself, meanwhile his girlfriend and another man are together in a different location. Throughout the video there are different elements of the narrative, and also of the performance of the band. The music video is mostly performance from N-Dubz, and the reason for this is because they are a famous well known band, and their image is very important in their music videos. However the narrative story within the music video is of a similar story line to my own. A variety of shots are used throughout the video, and different elements of speed such as slow motion. A lot of close up shots are used within the video, which I think were effective in the story line, and therefore I may take this forward to my own video. However in my music video, there will be not as much performance areas as this video, and will mainly focus on the story.

Below is the music video for Scouting For Girls - Love How it Hurts:

I looked at this video because it is a straightforward illustration narrative throughout the whole music video. Although it is not specifically about cheating, it is however about relationships. The story line follows two male characters and a female character from childhood to young adult. The idea that there are two males and one female character links into the idea of my music video quite well, and this is another reason that I chose to look more closely at this video when looking into similar products. There are a variety of shots used in this music video also which I will consider using myself such as long shots, extreme long shots, and many close ups. Slow motion is used in this video also, and this is something which I am definitely considering taking forward to my own video now that I have seen it in both this video and also 'Ouch'. There are no performance elements in this music video at all, it is simply a straightforward narrative story to match the lyrics and pace of the song. Although most of my video will be similar to this, I do want areas of performance involved in my video, and this is why I believe that the two music videos I chose to look at reflect both of these methods well.

I also looked back at my previous post briefly analysing the music video to 'Daniel Powter - Bad Day'. The reason I did this is because the music video contains split screen elements, and a narrative story, both of which I am including in my own video.

Costume for the Band

I would like the band to all wear similar style outfits, however different colours. I do not mind particularly on the exact outfits worn by the band, as long as they fit into the style I would like. This is because I know that my actors, (Tommy, Callum, Joe and Matthew) all have clothes which fit the style I would like them to wear. I would like them to all wear either straight leg or skinny jeans (preferably), and a plain t-shirt either all of it being plain or with a simple logo on it. The footwear I would like them to wear could either be simple trainers, or a plimsoll/smart type shoe. This type of outfit is the style of the artists, Simple Plan. This means that as well as matching the artists 'look', it also will appeal to the target audience.  Below is an image of Simple Plan, which represents this style. I have also included example images of the type of clothes I would like the 'band' members to wear.

Costume for the Second Male Character

The costume for the second male character, (Matthew Tyler) will be also quite smart/casual. I would like this character to wear straight leg jeans, plimsole/shoes, a polo shirt of a different colour/pattern to the main male character, and a cardigan. This is for the same reason as the other characters; this type clothing represents the age range of my target audience. Below are images of the type of costume Matthew will be wearing.

Costume for the Main Male Character

The costume I am going to use for the male character, (Connor Tullett) is; dark long jeans, a polo shirt, a jacket, and trainers. The style I wanted this character to have is smart casual, and I believe this costume will achieve this. I am aware that Connor already has these items of clothing therefore, as with the female character, the costume will be easily accessible. I would like the clothing to be branded, for example nike/adidas trainers, a voi polo shirt etc. Connor has these brands of clothing so again, this will be possible. I do not mind the colours, although I would like them to be quite plain and not too bright or with eccentric patterns. The reason I have chosen this particular costume is because I think it represents the majority of the fashion for male teenagers/young adults. Below are pictures of the type of costume I have in mind.

Costume for Female Character

The costume for the female character (Joanna Thirkettle) will consist of; black leggings, a plain coloured vest top or t-shirt, a cardigan, and a jacket/coat. There will also be the props of a necklace and/or a ring (simple jewellery). The shoes I would like Joanna to wear will be flat shoes (dolly shoes). I do not mind what colour these are so I will simply use whichever colour Joanna has herself already. I think that this costume represents the clothes in which the target audience may wear, and are currently fashionable for the particular age range I am targetting. Joanna has these items of clothing therefore this costume/outfit will be able to be used without having to purchase anything. Below is an example of the type of clothes Joanna will be wearing in the music video.

Confirming What Props I Will Need

As I have stated in a previous post about props, I will need a variety of props for my video with a small budget for certain items. I can now confirm that I will need the following props: 

- Instruments for the 'band performance' sections of my video. These will need to be asked permission for from the music faculty at school.

- Jewellery for the female actor. This will consist of a ring and simple necklace either gold or silver.

- A digital clock

- A mobile phone

- A note

- Keys

- Food and Drink. This will be for the scene of the couple on the sofa together. E.g. popcorn and drinks.

- Jacket/Coat. Although this is part of the girls costume, it will be taken off and placed as part of the Mise-en-Scene in one scene.

- Wall clock. May already be part of the furniture in the house, however if not one may need to be placed in the room or a substitute prop used.

- A watch for the main male character.

Most of these props will already be available, however a small budget will be needed for items such as the food and drink.